'An absolute masterclass in historical fiction writing.' Joanne Limburg What is the truth behind the mystery of the bastard boy? Ned Gudgeon wakes to find himself in a cell. He has no idea where he is or how he came to be there, but - seeing pen and paper - he begins to write. What follows is Ned's remarkable story, the story of his quest for his missing nephew, taking him from the corrupt and teeming slaving port of Bristol to the turmoil of the colonies on the brink of revolution. What is the truth behind the mystery of the bastard boy?